"It's a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes." (The Godfather) At Sapori di Sicilia, the message is considerably more appetizing: "Eat the pasta and nobody gets hurt." Walking in for the first time, I half-expected owner Eric Mullen to greet me with cotton-stuffed cheeks and a brooding stare. Instead -- as one Yelp reviewer memorably noted -- Eric looks like he's straight out of Super Mario, more likely to trade you a heavenly mocha for three gold coins than make you an offer you can't refuse. After a four-month pilgrimage to Italy in 2018 to learn the art of Sicilian cooking, Mullen returned to Winona and opened Sapori in 2020, filling a gap in the local food scene roughly the size of a horse head in a mobster's bed. The city desperately needed authentic Italian food, and Sapori delivered. No favors owed. No strings attached. *This time.* Everything here is made by hand: pasta, sauces, bread, pastries, and the gelato. The whole operation, with no shortcuts. The Bronze-cut Pasta: It clings to the sauce with the loyalty of a wartime consigliere who knows exactly where the bodies are buried. The pistachio pesto stands out, though it could use a touch more olive oil or pasta water. A minor grievance that doesn't warrant a trip to the river bottom in concrete shoes. The Pastries and Cakes: Genuinely dangerous. The Mascarpone cheesecake and chocolate cake slice are to die for -- and I mean that in the most Sicilian sense possible. Eat them. Tell no one. The Gelato: Should be under federal investigation. Light, creamy, and so authentically Italian it practically has its own accent. The pale green pistachio is rich, nutty, and deeply serious about its heritage. The Vibe: Warm. Hospitable. A real hit, but with zero cleanup crews required. The Verdict: Leave the gun. And for the love of all that is holy, take the cake and gelato too. You don't need a passport, a secret handshake, or a letter of introduction from a guy who knows a guy. Just show up hungry and show the proper respect. read more

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Food was very good and authentic. The in house made breads and pastas were the star of the show! The atmosphere is very comfortable and quaint. The service was great, we had a party of 12 and they accommodated us with great attention. Definitely recommend the gelato for dessert as well as a beautifully made cannoli enjoyed with a macchiato. read more

Sapori di Sicilia - Pasta sugo - Italian Near Me - Winona, Minnesota

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Food was great today, and the server/register person did an awesome job taking care of me. But my to go order took over 40 minutes to get. Probably need to schedule or hire a few more people? read more

Delicious food. We were grateful for a few vegetarian options. Went with a group of 5 and we all enjoyed our meals & sampling a few of their beautiful desserts. Service was friendly. Hope to come back again & try more someday! read more

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I really liked this place, I enjoyed the decor/style and vibe. You order at the counter and then they bring you your food. We both had a panino, I had the verdura and my sister had a panino with turkey. It was a huge sandwich - very good bread and the components were great. Yummy balsamic on the bread. A nice cool place to be on a warm day. I'd go again if I was in town. read more

Sapori di Sicilia - Verdura panino, turkey panino - Italian Near Me - Winona, Minnesota

The food was great!! I got the lemon pasta and it was to die for! Clear that this was homemade, and the noodles have a nice chew like I like. Service was relatively quick provided the many people in there. Ambiance is great as the place is very upscale with great lighting and decor. Awesome location for great food at a reasonable price. I should also add their gelato and bakery is wonderful! read more

Sapori di Sicilia - Pictured from top to bottom is the carbonara, truffle fries, and lemon pasta. - Italian Near Me - Winona, Minnesota

Service was poor and slow. Food was A big disappointment. Two of us took a shrimp and pasta dish. The pasta was terrible. Ambiance was good but not enough to make up for the food and service. read more

Mediocre espresso and slowwwwwww af service. The staff is friendly and the place was very nicely decorated/setup, but I will never come here in a hurry again. Came during lunch and ordered two coffee drinks plus a baguette. Then proceeded to watch the staff complete three orders in front of mine so I just inquired a few times about the coffees gently dropping the fact that I was on a time crunch for my lunch break. They got the drinks done - but with pressure. read more

For years, I have ordered their Verdura sandwich and added the Capicola. It's the largest portion size, so delicious, and I cannot get enough! I have to try something else soon. read more

Brought my parents here when visiting Winona and it was cute. good breakfast atmosphere. Food took a little while to come out but we got our coffee immediately so i wasn't too irritated about it. Food was really good, more than I would pay but it was on my dads coin so I recommend if you have that opportunity read more

Please reopen the restaurant portion of the business. The café is great and the selections of Italian dishes reflect true Italian cooking rather than Americanized versions. read more

Menu wasn't set. When we went there on May 15, 2025 we went to the restaurant side and only pizzas were on the menu. I was confused because on their website they mentioned pastas. I was told that was on the cafe side and we would have to go to that side so we left the table and walked over to the cafe side. Three of us had pasta dishes and they were mediocre. It seems like they were still working out the pasta recipes on that side as well. I had the carbonara and the eggs were overcooked so it was like having scrambled eggs with pasta. I ordered espresso and gelato for dessert. Gelato was good. But the espresso machine was not pulling correct shots and they had to redo it a few times. The crew there at night were doing their best but I think the overall management of the restaurant needs to intervene to get everything dialed in. We had so much excitement for a nice non-chain Italian restaurant dining experience in Winona, MN but unfortunately it fell flat. Both the cafe and restaurant were very nice and clean. The bar looked inviting but we didn't drink this visit so we cannot speak to the experience there. If you are looking for what appears to be some craft pizzas maybe give them a shot. read more

My wife and I had a great meal at this little gem of an Italian restaurant in Winona. We were thrilled with the quality of the food which brought back fond memories our recent trip to Italy. All the food tasted authentic to the food that we while in Italy which I think is a great tribute to the chef/owner at this restaurant. To start off, the freshly baked rolls were very good. We decided to take a chance on an interesting menu choice of Brussels sprouts of all things and found it to be a surprisingly good dish and certainly worthy of a try if you'd like to be adventurous or simply enjoy Brussels sprouts. We then moved on to the pasta which was simply delicious. We were curious as to why it was so much better than the pasta served at American restaurants as compared to Italy. The chef explained that they use bronze cut dyes to extrude the pasta giving it the ultimate texture and flavor in the same way that it is made in Italy for generations. You just do not find that quality in the US very often in either restaurants or grocery stores. It was great to come to enjoy this incredible pasta locally. We then moved on to tarts and cannoli for dessert. We were incredibly pleased with the decadent flavors. Finally, we could not resist the Gelato getting Black Cherry and strawberry Gelatos. Both were fantastic and filled with flavor. It was a great experience for us and we look forward to getting back to Winona just to get some more of the wonderfully authentic Italian food at Café Sapori di Sicilia. read more

Sapori di Sicilia - Italian Near Me - Winona, Minnesota

Unbelievable experience! Extremely classy Italian restaurant with a wonderful flair for unique Italian cocktails, amazing wines and delightful pizza! Very excited for this to flourish in Winona and am excited for the full menu to launch. Great staff and very high end feel, but with a comfortable atmosphere! Nice job read more

The pasta comes out of a machine, and the sauce has no flavor. We had the Arrabiatta and the Carbonara. The penne pasta on the Arrabiatta was fine, but Carbonara needs NOODLES. The Caesar dressing was second-rate. All in all, this was a disappointing experience read more

Simple atmosphere. Food was tasty and plentiful. Beer hit the spot. Olives Focaccia and beer were good start. Carbonara was good and beef sandwich was good too read more

Sapori di Sicilia - Carbonara olive focaccia' and beef sandwiches and local beers - Italian Near Me - Winona, Minnesota

We ordered pasta fagioli (soup) it was a lot of broth and little pasta or beans. The soup had no seasoning. The Zaffrano was supposed to be saffron, asparagus and shrimp. There was very little asparagus and the sauce was flavorless. The Cacio e Pepe was advertised as a creamy white wine sauce. This was also a great disappointment. The only bright spots were that the chicken and shrimp were cooked well. This meal was not worth the price at an average of $13 a plate. read more

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I've been here twice now, and both times were the highlight of my day. At $10 a plate for just the right amount of pasta, and less than $5 for fresh cut bread and oil, I will be coming here for many pick-me-up days in the future. It's not just the great prices, the food is fantastic. It cured my complete lack of appetite and probably saved me from scurvy- check out the pesto pistachio! I can't wait to bring my friends and family here soon! read more

Sapori di Sicilia - Italian Near Me - Winona, Minnesota

This place is legit! The flavors reminded me of a trip I took to Sicily a couple years ago. Italian breakfast is a cappuccino and pastry, which this place does very well. We had a cornetto with our coffee, and I was surprised how much it tasted like the ones I had in Italy! We also had some pasta, and it was very good. The decor of this place is a love letter to Sicily, what a wonderful place. read more

Delicious sandwiches and zuppa soup! A local recommended this place and I'm glad I took it. I'll be back next time I'm in town. Also, the chef looks like Mario from Mario Bros read more

Sapori di Sicilia - Zuppa - Italian Near Me - Winona, Minnesota

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So so good. Stopped for some cannolis, cheesecake, gelato, focaccia bread, some kind of soup that was off menu, ciabatta bread, carbonara, and coffee. Everything was excellent. The staff were friendly. The place was very clean. And the decor was wonderful. read more

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We thought we'd give Sapori another chance after our last visit (see my previous review). Anyone can have a bad day. Unfortunately Sapori's failed to rise to the occasion Sunday evening. We were greeted pleasantly and quickly. My first request was for Diet Coke as they were out of it Saturday morning. Alas, I was told they had just ran out which was clearly stretching the truth. The clerk said it's many people's choice too which would lead me to believe it might be a good idea to fix the problem, but apparently I have high expectations. It seems to me that between Saturday morning and Sunday evening they could have run to the store and bought a case or two to tide them over until their normal syrup delivery. Sans Diet Coke we decided to order anyway. We ordered one of the pasta dishes and to our surprise they were out of that one and two others which comprised half the pasta choices. We decided to eat elsewhere. I can only hope the poor service was due to the owner possibly being out of town as not much else would explain our experience. read more

Menu items need to be explained more clearly. We spent a lot of time on our phones looking things up. No fish other than shrimp which was very good as was the pasta.. Some dishes needed more sauce. They were out of several items. Nice staff but won't be back soon. read more

Delicious focaccia. Was still warm when we got it home for sandwiches. Friendly help. Updated with a low-key vibe.

As much a public service as it is a coffee shop/bakery/restaurant. The best croissant I've had outside of Europe. A double capp with a giant ham and cheese croissant for under $10. In a splendid setting - like I said, a public service. read more

Great meal and pleasant staff. I had the Pesto Pistacchio with added shrimp. My husband had Aglio e Olio with shrimp. Both pastas were amazing. The concept is a little different. You order and pay at a counter then they bring the meal to you. We dined on the porch with a nice view of Winona. I must say I ate the whole dish of pasta even though I typically don't eat that much. More exercise later! We finished with a cup of gelato. A great finish to a great meal. read more

I went in this past Sunday and spent $17 for a cup of pasta drenched in oil. I asked for extra parm there was hardly any the pasta was swimming in oil it was disgusting. The cashier hardly said a word to me. Didn't ask if I wanted my bread cut or warmed up. Idk I spent $30 there the salad was drenched in sauce, all I ended up eating was my bread. Pretty upsetting $30 is a lot of money and I should of went to McDonald's read more

It's so hard to find real Italian food in MN let alone real Italian food at this price range!! Extremely prompt service and big portions of food. This place is incredible. Very grateful to have this option in town! read more

SUPERB sandwiches for sure... pasta could be a bit too dry though. Was surprised that Sugo's rather spicy, but everything's good. Nice staff, friendly service. GREAT addition to Winona's dining scene. read more

After all the good reviews, I was really looking forward to this restaurant. So disappointed. We got the carbonara and the sugo. Both were a little bland and dry. One person got the mortadella and it was good. read more

We came in to try it out. I left hungry and i'm sure my husband did too. He had the lasagna which he said was good but maybe could be a bigger portion for the money. I think having a bread included with oil would be a nice touch as they do in the Redwood Room in Rochester. The food was good but portions were small and did not include the protein. Unfortunately, we probably will not be back. read more

First, why is there a photo of Nosh Scratch Kitchen in a site re Sapori? Next in regard to Sapori, the food is excellent, but the atmosphere is more like a fast food joint. Much more could be done to improve this place. read more

I was truly looking forward to eating here since it was highly reviewed at four or more stars on an array or platforms. Sadly, this was not the experience that I got as the taste of the food did not match the reviews. My group ordered the Carbonara, Sugo, and Cacio e Pepe, all of which were dry and extremely bland. If you're expecting traditional Italian dishes with spice and flavor, you're going to be disappointed. Would highly recommend to order water and stay away from soda as all three of our sodas had no carbonation at all. I'm not one to complain, but when an experience is this bad, it's hard to keep quiet. read more

We got a order to go. One order of Agnello (Pasta and lamb in olive oil), a couple Bocconcino's (small crusty rolls) and two desserts (Tiramisu and Cheesecake Nutella). The pasta was one serving and as we expected, plenty for two people. If you are a big eater that may not be the case but we often share one meal - especially pasta dishes and find it is enough. The lamb was really tender and well seasoned and the olive oil marinade was just right. The Bocconcino's needed a 15 second zap in the microwave as they were a tad hard but once we warmed them up in the microwave, they were very good. I would order this dish again - it was that good. The desserts were okay. I find the Tiramisu had a odd after taste - but my husband enjoyed it and the Cheesecake was a bit of a mess, i.e., wasn't a solid piece but broken up. I think they could skip the Nutella and it would be a lot better! They have a Cheesecake Mascarpone - which is what I wanted, but they were out of it when I made this order. I will likely skip the desserts next time we order and just get the pasta and rolls. All in all, the total was under $20 and two people ate well! On another note - be mindful if you have a to-go order - it is a bit confusing to get in this place. The print out I had from the online order said to go to the Fourth St. entrance - but their front door is at the Main Street entrance. Fourth St there is a turn in for a parking lot (the downtown clinic parking) and if you drive past that a short ways - there is a left - one -way turn (no sign directing you!) that leads to a window where there is a place you can do drive thru pick up. Would recommend that they explain that a bit better on the to-go order sheet. read more

Just terrific sandwiches, pasta and bread. A little something different for Winona, which is greatly appreciated .

I spent 20 years working for The Mirage Hotel with executive restaurant privileges. All I needed to do was tip. I've been frustrated for a decade wondering why there were no choices in Winona other than bar food. The Blue Heron was the only great food until now. OUTRAGEOUSLY good food that would give any Las Vegas store a run for the money. THANK you for taking the risk and making great food available in Lower Lumpa! read more

second visit, food has excellent quality and authentic. bread and pastry wonderful

We had two of the entrees and I must say they were both very dry. Lots of pasta and little sauce. Tables have no condiments. Had to go and ask for salt and pepper. They had no Parmesan cheese to add to flavor. The room has no atmosphere to suggest anything Italian or Sicilian. Very modern tables and chairs with polished marble type flooring. Stark and cold comes to mind. Gelato was good, but had to ask for a napkin. Staff not very friendly or accommodating. read more

Stumbled upon this place while in town for a festival. Sooo good! Cannoli lovers must go here immediately. Everything is made in-house, with great care and skill; the pastry chef spent time learning the trade in Sicily. Gelato is divine; would try everything else if I had more time. Talk about a hidden gem... read more

Had the Mortadella sandwich, and it blew my mind. One of the best authentic Italian sandwiches I've had in the US. This place is great. Can't wait to try everything else. read more